Port Orchard mayor, council candidates talk transparency

PORT ORCHARD - Transparency was the buzzword at a debate hosted Thursday by the League of Women Voters of Kitsap County at Port Orchard city hall. Speakers included candidates for mayor and city council, as well as South Kitsap School Board.

Mayoral candidate Tim Matthes, challenging incumbent Lary Coppola, said he is running on a platform of open government and public involvement.

"I'm also concerned that the public has been left out of some of the processes, and I'm very troubled with that," Matthes said

He would seek to form citizens' advisory groups on the budget and utilities. He also wants the city to have an ethics handbook, and he held up a handwritten pamphlet for example.

Coppola countered that the city has done much to increase transparency and communication with residents. He cited the city's switch from broadcasting city council meetings on Bremerton Kitsap Access Televison to video coverage posted on the city's website. Most people in the city have high speed Internet, Coppola said, and the videos are permanently accessible, whereas the BKAT broadcasts are limited and often at inconvenient times.

"We have done just about everything we can possibly do to make things more transparent," Coppola said. "My door's always open. If you have questions come on down."

Matthes disagreed with the decision to drop BKAT coverage, saying the cost was insignificant compared to the benefit. Had he been mayor, he would have pushed to keep both forms of coverage.

Code cities are allowed to do anything under state law that is not expressly forbidden. Port Orchard is one of 11 second class cities in the state eligible to change its classification. Most, including Poulsbo, made the switch in decades past. Second class cities are governed under a fixed set of powers specified by the state.

Matthes said the city should have done more to educate the public about the ramifications of the change. Being a code city would allow the council to take certain actions during work study meetings, for example.

Coppola defended the council, saying the change to code city classification "has more to do with how we deal with the state than anything else."

Being a code city would allow the city more flexibility, but nothing would be hidden from the public, he said. Work study meetings are both open to the public and taped, Coppola noted.

"It's not a transparency issue at all," he said.

Incumbent city councilman Jerry Childs, seeking re-election to the at-large position, noted becoming a code city would actually empower residents by giving them the right to file an initiative.

"I'm in favor of us being a code city," Childs said. "It gives us more home rule, so to speak."

Ben Pinneo, Childs' challenger, said he thought the switch to code city status would be "a great experience for the city." But he welcomes the chance to have more extended public discussion of the details.

Amy Miller, vying for council position 5 against Cindy Lucarelli, echoed Pinneo's comments. Lucarelli spoke enthusiastically about the code city classification.

"I think, from the information I have this far, that Port Orchard would do wonderfully as a code city," Lucarelli said.

Council candidates, all four of whom agreed on most issues, floated their ideas for improving communication with constituents.

"I would like to see the city use social media. It's a great tool," said Miller.

Lucarelli, who has run twice before for council and has regularly attended council meetings over the past five years, said social media is a good idea, but people can get overwhelmed. Post card notifications should be used judiciously because of the cost, she said.

Lucarelli praised the city for what she sees as strides in increased transparency in recent years.

Childs pointed out potential public records issues with social media.

"Social media is problematical because of open meetings and public disclosure. We've actually been told that's not a good idea, and other cities have had problems with that," Childs said. "I would respectfully disagree with my other friends here."

The debate was videotaped and will air on Bremerton Kitsap Access Television at 10 a.m. Monday, 2 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m. Oct. 17.